Aeronautical toy



June 19, 1956 H, Row 2,750,711

AERONAUTICAL. TOY

Filed Dec. 8, 1955 IN V EN TOR.

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A TTORNE'VX United States This invention relates to an aerial toy and has for its principal object to provide a device that is adapted to be launched into the air as an arrow and for descent by a rotary motion.

Other objects of the invention are to provide for automatic shift of the center of gravity for producing change in the flight characteristics of the toy, and to provide a relatively inexpensive, light weight aerial toy wherein the control of the flight characteristics is responsive to air resistance and inertia on parts thereof.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention as hereinafter pointed out, I have provided an imatent when the ends 12 and 13 are secured in registry, a curvature is provided to simulate the cross section of an airplane wing. The air foil thus described is attached to the rectangular portion 4 of the shaft.

In applying the air foil section, suitable adhesive is applied to flat side faces 5 and 6 of the shaft, and the shaft is inserted through the space 16 between the flies 14 and 15, at a point spaced from the rounded portion 11 after which pressure is applied to the flies 14 and 15 to assure their attachment to the shaft.

The juncture between portions 3 and 4 of the shaft is provided with a stop 17 that projects laterally of the shaft and over the rounded edge portion 11 of the air foil and which is of sufilcient Width to provide an air resistance when the toy is launched as later described.

The stop 17 may be formed of plastic and suitably attached to the shaft or if the shaft is formed of other material than wood, it may be formed as an integral part thereof. The end portion 4 of the shaft is of longer length than the air foil 7 so that it projects from the end 18 of the air foil to provide a portion 19 that may be gripped between the thumb and finger when the toy is to be proved structure, the preferred form of which is illus- I trated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an aerial toy constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing the start of the first step in launching thereof.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the position of the parts just prior to release thereof for upward flight. Fig. 3 is a cross section through the air foil of the aerial toy, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar section through a modified form of air foil.

Fig. 5 is a similar section through a further modified form of air foil.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the cap or head end of the aerial toy showing the weight member in a position it assumes when the toy is launched.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of a portion of the air foil and showing the weight member in position, as when the toy is in descent.

Referring more in detail to the drawing: 1

1 designates an aerial toy constructed in accordance with the present invention and which includes an elongated shaft 2, which has one end portion 3 thereof, of round or nearly round cross section and the other end portion 4, of preferably rectangular cross section to provide flat faces 5 and 6, for facilitating attachment of an air foil 7.

The shaft 2 which includes the end portions 3 and 4, may be formed of wood or other light weight material, which is of suflicient strength to provide a serviceable toy. The terminal of the end portion 3 has a cap or head 8 that may be of conical shape to provide an angular stop shoulder 9 for a weight member 10 that is slidable relatively to the shaft as later described.

The air foil 7 may be formed of relatively stilf, light weight paper or other suitable sheet material. In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the airfoil consists of a substantially rectangular sheet of paper having a width to provide the desired length of the air foil and a length slightly more than twice the desired width of the air foil so that when the sheet is folded transversely at near the middle thereof on a reverse curve 11, the ends 12 and 13 may be brought together and secured by a suitable adhesive.

The sheet is folded so that one of the flies of the sheet, for example 14, is of less width than the fly 15 so that launched and which is preferably slotted to secure an elastic member such as a rubber band 20 which is also connected with the weight member 10 to normally retain the weight member and the stop 17 in contact as shown in Fig. 7.

The weight member 10 is preferably formed of metal and has the shape of a washer to provide an opening 21 through which the rounded end portion 3 of the shaft extends.

The resilient elastic member 20 is secured to the weight 10 in any suitable manner, for example by means of a hook 22, which projects from one side thereof as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The hook 22 is preferably as close to the shaft as possible to prevent canting and binding of the weight member 10 on the shaft.

The toy is launched or catapulted into the air by means of a stick 23 and a preferably elastic member 24 which may be in the form of a rubber band 25, this band being attached to the end of the stick 23 for example by wrapping an end thereof around the end of the stick and passing the other end therethrough, as shown in Fig. 1.

The free end of the band 25 is to engage over a pin 27 that projects from the weight member 10 preferably on a side thereof opposite the hook 22.

Assuming the toy, to be constructed and assembled as described, is to be launched, the shaft projection 19 is gripped between the thumb and finger of one hand and the loop 26 of the strand 24 is looped over the pin 27 on the weight 10.

The hands then are moved apart, carrying the stick 23 forwardly of the cap 8 and drawing the end portion 3 of the shaft through the weight member 10 until it is stopped by the shoulder 9. This movement of the weight member 10 tensions the elastic member 20. Then, with further stretching of the strand 24 and release of the grip end of the shaft, the toy is caused to soar into the air as an arrow.

The inertia of the weight member 10 keeps the weight member against the shoulder 9, while the air resistance effected by the stop 17 and the forward end of the air foil keeps the shoulder of the cap against the Weight to retain the elastic member 20 in stretched condition until the arrow reaches the top of its flight whereupon the clastic member 20 becomse effective to project the shaft relaively to weight member 10 until the stop 17 engages the weight member.

During the flight of the device, the resistance of the air on the stop member 17 cooperates with the end edge of the air foil 7 to maintain separation of the air foil section and the weight member 10 to assure that the weight mem- 7* her is kept in contact with the shoulder 9 during the upward flight f the device and the upward flight under control of the weight member, but when the momentum of the device is spent and the upward flight is stopped, the elastic member 2'0 is effective in shifting the shaft relatively to the weight member for engagement with the stop 17. This changes the center of gravity of the toy re a point near the immediately adjacent end of the air foil and the device flutters to the ground in a circular motion somewhat in the manner of a maple leaf, to simulate a helicopter. In effecting the above, the elastic member 20 is highly active and functions properly because the structure permit-s use of a relatively long and highly resilient rubber band.

The form of air foil 28 shown in Fig. 4 comprises a single ply of material having some transverse curvature. The air foil having only a single ply, is of course, attached to only one side of the shaft 29.

The form of air foil 30 shown in Fig. 5 does not'h'ave the projecting edge but this edge 31 is merely wrapped about the shaft '32 and secured by a suitable adhesive. It is "also to be understood that the air foil may be other than'rectangularwithout departing from the invention.

It is obvious that the momentum of the upward flight and manner of descent are dependent upon the center of gravity'of the toy and this is changed to bring about the desired actions by the respective relative positions between the weight member and the air foil.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that I have provided an aerial toy that is of simple construction and which may belauhched in the air in the manner 'of an arrow and which descends in a rotary motion.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An aerial toy adapted to be catapulted into the air by means'of a stick and a strand connected with the stick, said aerial toy including an elongated shaft, an air foil rigidly connected with one end of the shaft and extending laterally therefrom and of less length than the shaft to leave a projecting portion of said shaft, a stop at the end of the shaft remote from'the air foil, a weight memb'erh'aving' an opening through which the projecting end of the shaft extends, the weight member and shaft having relative movement for changing the center of gravity of thetoy relative to the air foil, means on the weight memb'e'rfor'att'achin'g said strand to effect relative movement between said weight member and 'air foil for establishing contact of the weight member with said step whereby the center of gravity is away from the air foil and the weight member is effective in controlling momentumof the toy when catapulted into the air, an elastic member connecting the w'ei'ght member with the shaft and'in tension when the weight member is in contact with said stop for effecting the relative movement between the weight member and air foil to bring the weight member near the air foil and establish center of gravity near the air foil when the momentum of the weight member is substantially expended whereby the air foil becomes eflective in controlling descent of the toy in a spinning motion simulating the flight of a helicopter.

2. An aerial toy adapted to be catapulted into the air by means of a. stick and a strand connected with the stick, said aerial toy including an elongated shaft, an air foil rigidly connected with one end of the shaft and extending laterally therefrom and of less length than the shaft to leave a projecting portion of said shaft, a stop at the end of the shaft remote from the air foil, a weight member having an opening through which the projecting end of the shaft extends, the weight member and shaft having relative movement for changing the center of gravity of the toy relative to the air foil, means on the weight member for attaching said strand to effect relative movement between said weight member and air foil for establishing contact of the Weight member with said stop whereby the centerof gravity is away from the air foil and the weight member is effective in controlling momentum of the toy when catapulted into the air, an elastic member connecting the weight member with the shaft and in tension when the weight member is in contact with said stop for elfecting the relative movement between the weight member and air foil to bring the weight member near the air foil and establish center of gravity near the air foil when the momentum ofthe weight member is substantially expended 'whefeby-the air foil becomes effective in controlling descent of the toy in a spinning motion simulating the flight of a helicopter, and means on the shaft having a surface adapted to be acted upon by air resistance for resisting said relative movement which is under action -by the elastic member until thecontrolof flight by the weight member has ceased.

3. An aerial toy as described in claim 2 wherein said air resisting means forms a stop for the weight member -vvhenthe weight member is shifted to said position where the toy is under control of the air foil.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

